1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus which sequentially reads an original from its initial page and then forms a read image on a transfer member (e.g., sheet of paper).
2. Related Background Art
As a conventional image formation apparatus which reads an image of an original put on an original mounting board and then forms the read image on a transfer member, there is provided the apparatus to which an original carrier means for sequentially and automatically carrying the original in such a state as its face from which the image is read (referred as read face hereinafter) is opposite to the original mounting board is installed, to reduce user's inconvenience in an original handling operation. To improve convenience in use of the image formation apparatus, there is provided the apparatus to which the original carrier means for carrying the original from its initial page onto the original mounting board is installed. Further, to improve copy productivity, the image formation apparatus which performs a running read operation is also realized. In the running read operation, the original is carried in a sub-scan direction by the original carrier means while it is passed through a running read position defined on the board, and the image on the read face of the original is read by scanning the read face in a main-scan direction at the time when the original carried by the original carrier means passes the running read position.
Also, a process system which automatically executes a postprocess on a transfer member can be seen. That is, in this system, a postprocess unit for executing the postprocess such as a binding process, a sort process or the like on the transfer members discharged from the image formation apparatus is installed to the image formation apparatus.
As the process executed by such a postprocess unit, there is the above-described binding process, the sort process or the like. In this case, a capability or condition of the process is determined according to a processing capability of the image formation apparatus connected to the postprocess unit and a discharge condition of the transfer member.
However, a postprocess unit having more satisfactory performance cannot be proposed without considering specifications of the already-available image formation apparatus. That is, a new postprocess unit has to be proposed always on the premise that the image formation apparatus to which the postprocess unit is installed is limited to some extent. On the contrary, a new image formation apparatus is sometimes proposed to be able to correspond to the postprocess unit newly proposed.
The inventors have proposed the postprocess unit which sequentially takes in the transfer member discharged from the image formation apparatus in the state that its discharge condition is maintained, stacks these members took in, and then executes the binding process to bind a sheaf of the stacked members at its trailing edge defined based on the discharge condition. In this connection, the image formation apparatus to be jointed to this postprocess unit is required to discharge the transfer member of which image formation face is being turned downward and of which trailing-edge binding position is being at the left of the image formation face.
However, in the above image formation apparatus, such a required paper discharge condition can not be obtained without spoiling the convenience in use and the copy productivity.